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Severe fuel shortages have forced Cuban authorities canceled the International Labor Day parade, which had been set for Monday. The event usually draws hundreds of thousands of people dressed in red, waving flags and banners in support of socialism and the Cuban Revolution.
But Havana’s Revolution Square, which features a giant statue of the island’s national hero, José Martí, will not look like it did this May.
In recent weeks, Cuba has struggled with fuel shortages across the island caused by supplier countries not delivering, according to its president. The country’s weakened economy also makes it difficult for the government to import its own solvents to refine the low-quality crude it receives or buy higher-quality crude that requires less refining.
Cuba typically uses between 500 and 600 tons of fuel per day, President Miguel Díaz-Canel, said earlier this month. Now, he said, the island has less than 400 tons per day.
“We still don’t have a clear idea of how we’re going to get out of this,” Mr Díaz-Canel said.
Although the main May Day event in the capital has been canceled, Ulises Guilarte, head of the Central Union of Cuban Workers, said last week that celebrations would still take place in local communities, schools and workplaces under conditions of “maximum austerity.”
Due to heavy rain and strong winds in Cuba on Sunday, even some of the smaller events may be postponed.
The background
For the past month, Cubans have been experiencing acute fuel shortages that have hit the island’s already struggling economy.
Traffic has come to a standstill. Mile-long lines have formed at gas stations, and some drivers are even sleeping in their cars. Taxi drivers charge exorbitant fees. Some universities have returned to online classes. Restaurants and bars have lost clients. Cuba’s National Theater in Havana even canceled a concert by the national symphony orchestra because it ran out of fuel.
Now Cuba has canceled the May Day parade.
The last time the parade was canceled was at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, in 2021.
Mr. Díaz-Canel has denied that the crisis is the result of Cuban inefficiency or state-owned institutions. He even pointed out countries – such as Venezuela, a long-time fuel supplier – that “can’t fulfill their commitments” because they “are already in a complicated energy situation,” he said.
Why It Matters
This is not the first fuel shortage in Cuba. But there is no relief, analysts and residents fear that it could be one of the worst.
In recent years, a combination of tougher U.S. sanctions and the pandemic cut off one of Cuba’s lifelines: the tourism industry. Food is becoming scarcer and more expensive, lines at pharmacies with limited supplies start before dawn and millions of people experience blackouts every hour of the day.
Since the start of 2022, more than 330,000 Cubans have migrated to the United States, most arriving at the southern border by land, according to US government data.
In previous years, workers in Havana would have set up scaffolding and screens in preparation for the parade. However, on Sunday Revolution Square looked barren. Only a few cars are parked there – a mural of Che Guevara peeks out of the rain. One of them is a black 1959 Chevrolet convertible.
“There is little work, because there is little tourism, and you cannot work much because you have to save fuel,” said Yosvel Sosa Vargas, 37, who rents a Chevrolet and is a tourist driver.
Mr. Sosa Vargas said he would not be participating in the celebration.
“This year, if I don’t work, I won’t come,” he said.
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